Copying apparatus.



Patented D ec. I2, |899.

2 Sheets-Sham I.

F. H. WOLEVER.

COPYING APPARATUS.

(Application led Nov. 21, 1898.)

me ucmms Pzrzns co.. vnomumo.. WASI-Immo", DA c.

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. I2, |8991.

F. H. WOLEVER.

COPYING APPARATUS.

rApplication filed Nov. 21, 1898.)

NNA

M Su nlm H (No Model.)

FRANK HENRY VOLEVER, OF LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- l HALF TO JOHN S. DRIVER, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS.

COPYING APPARATUS.

sPEcI'FIcATIoN forming para or Letters Patent Ne. 638,899, date December 12, 1899.

Application iile'd November 21, 1898. Serial No. 697,049. (No model.)

` to provide an apparatus of this class wherein a hard and proportionately-durable pad or impression-surface may be used, said surface being maintained in the proper condition for transferring an impression by a continuous supply of moisture. l

A further object of the invent-ion is to provide in an apparatus of the class to which my improvement appertains a porous impressionpad of which the su'rface is accessible by a mostening agent by reason of porosity of the pa A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for applying a continuous supply of surface -moistening material to the rear side of an impression-pad and in connection therewith to provide means for efficiently supporting the impression-pad to render its rear surface accessible to a surface-moistening liquid and for relieving the rear surface of the pad of accumulations of air.

A further object of the'invention is to provide means for varying the relative positions of the impression-surface of the pad and the upper edges of the walls of the frame or holder in which the pad is located to insure the efficient exposure of the impression-surface as said surface becomes Worn by continued use.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description,and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of a copying apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention,the copying-pad holder being shown in central transverse section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the pad- The apparatus embodying myinventionin cludes a pad-holder having a base or bottom l and fixed Wall-sections 2, one of which is tapped `for the reception `of a feed-pipe 3, which communicates with the interior of the holder, and movable wall-sections 4, mounted parallel with the iiXed wall-sections for adjustment toward and from the plane of the base or bottom and held in place by means of adjusting-bolts 5, which are threaded into nuts 6 in the movable sections and are swiveled in terminal flanges 7 of the base or bottom. Located transversely in and spanning the holder, with their extremities fixed to the fixed side wall-sections, are supports S, preferably channeled in their upper Asurfaces and being adapted to uphold a copying-pad 9,

`which is arranged in the portion of the holder above the plane thereof.' These transverse pad-supports may be braced between the planes of said fixed side wall-sections by means of a longitudinal cross-sectionally T- shaped web l0 to prevent sagging of said supports. The transverse supports 8 divide the interior of the holder into an upper pad-receiving chamber, in which the above-mentioned pad 9 is seated, and a lower or subjacent distributing-chamber 11,130 which a moistening liquid is fed, the function of this distributing-chamber being to convey liquid introduced thereinto throughout the area ofthe pad-holder, and thus communicate moisture to all portions of the under or rearsurface of an absorbent pad 9, which rests upont-he supports 8 and is interposed between the same and the under surface of the printing or transferring pad 9, said absorbent pad 9a being of porous material, such as plaster-ofaris. p The pad 9 is of porous or interstitial material, whereby moisture in contact with the under or rear surface thereof is absorbed and conveyed through the thickness of the pad to its operative or upper surface to preserve in a working condition anyimpression material, such as ink, which may have been applied thereto by any of the well-known processes followed in copying, such as by applying to said surface a letter or other sheet whereon characters are written or printed in a transferable or copying ink or medium. In practice I have found that an efficient printing-pad having a desirable durability and providing a surface ofcthe necessary hardness may be formed by combining plaster-ofparis, silicate of aluminium, and prepared chalk, the proportions of which, however, may be varied to produce corresponding variations in the quality of the surface andthe rapidity of absorption of moist-ure by the pad. The under surface of the printing-pad is arrangedl incontact with the upper surface of the absorbent pad 9, whereby there is a direct communication of moisture from the latter to the former, and by providing for a continuous supply of moisture to the distributing-chamber 11 a corresponding continuous supply will reach the upperor operative surface of the printing-pad, and thus will maintain the impression of printed'or written characters upon said surface in a suitable condition for transfer to a sheet or other surface brought into contact with that of the pad.

Various means may be employed for providing a continuoussupply of moisture; but that which I have found to be effective in practice includes a supply-tank 1 2, with which communicates a supply-pipe 13, connected withthe inlet-pipe 3 by interposed, flexible sections 14 of rubber tubing or the equivalent thereof and a transparent gage-tube 15, said flexible sections l-lE serving to connect the opposite ends of said gage-tube respectively with the supply and inlet pipes 13 and 3; also, the supply-pipe is preferably provided with a controlling-valve 1G, whereby a quantity of liquid may be introduced from the tank into the connecting-pipe, and the inlet-pipe 3 is provided with a controllingvalve 17, whereby the communication of liquid from the `pipe to the receiving-chamber ofthe holder may be regulated, said gagetube-serving to show the elevation of the surface of liquid in said connecting-pipeor conveyer andindicate when the tank requires replenishing, The tank may be arranged Yin any convenient position, as upon a shelf or bracket, and the iexibility of the intermediate sections of the connecting-pipe allows the holder to be arranged in the desired position, and, furthermore, the valves which are arranged-in the pipe-sections 13 and 3 provide for the disconnection of the tank from the Aconnecting-tube and also the disconnection of the tube from the pipe 3 without interferceases ing with the operation of the pad and holder when, for instance, it is desired to refill the tank.

A suitable moistening liquid for supply to the pad during the printing or copying operation consists of water and glycerin approximately in equal parts; but it will be understood that Ido not desire to be limited to this particular moistening liquid, as others adapted to the particular impression mediums or inks may be employed in connection with an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

The operation of copying by means of the improved apparatus is substantially the same as that ordinarily followed, in that it involves the c Jntact with the copying-surface of asheet orsurface bearingthe printedor written characters to be copiedv and the subsequent application to the same surface of sheets which are to receive the impression; but it will be understood that` by reason ofthe continuous supply of moisture the copyingoperationmay be continued as long as there is a vestige of copying medium orfink upon the surface of the pad, said medium or ink being prevented from drying, and hence being maintained in a proper' conditionfor transfer. As-the impression-surface of the pad becomesvworn by continued use the movable wall-sections, 4 may be lowered to correspondingly change the relative positions ofA the upper edgesof'said walls and' the surface ofthe pad, whereby said surface is exposed to facilitate the application of sheets thereto. Furthermore, in practice I prefer to provide` the interior of the holder, -inclusive of the surfaces of the fixed and movable sections and the base orl bottom, with a lining 18, of zinc or equivalent material, designed to prevent the absorption by the members of the holder or frame of moisture introduced into the distributingchamber of the apparatus.

Vhen the moistening liquid is introduced into the distributingchamber for the first time, it is obvious that4 air contained in the interstices or spacesbetween the granules or particles of t-he filling material must be ex,- pelled in order to allow an efiicient. contact of suchliquid with the under surface of the pad, and in order to provide for` this escape of air I employ an air-outlet tube 19, having its inlet cud located contiguous to the plane of the under surface of the absorbent moisture-conveying pad 9 and its outlet endjupturned exteriorly of the holder 'to discharge the air as the chamber fills, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, said outlet-tube beingprovided with a suitable controlling-valve 20. rllhisair-outlet tube, however, has another and more important function, eonsistingin controlling the pressure applied to moistening liquid in the distributing-chamber. To adapt the outlettube to perform this function, a vertical transparent'gage and pressure-tube 24: is con- IOO IOS

IIO

. tube 24.

hected, as by a Yflexible tubing 25, with the outlet end of the tube 19, and when the moistening liquid is admitted to the distributing-chamber from the tank after all of the air has been expelled from said distributingchamber said liquid rises into the pressure- If the flow of liquid is allowed to continue, the level in the pressure-tube 24: will reach that of the liquid in the tank, and if, with the valves 16, 17, and 2O open, the pressure in the distributing-chamber is suficient to force the liquid through the absorbent liquid-conveying pad 9a more rapidly than is required at the printing-surface the valve 17 may be closed, whereby the pressure upon the contents of the distributingchamber is due solely to the column of liquid in the pressure-tube 24 and the connected parts, including the tube 25 and the outlettube 19; also, if this pressure is too great a less height of column in the pressure-tube may be provided. In other words, by the use of a pressure-tube 24 or the equivalent thereof the pressure upon the contents of the distributing-chamber may be regulated to produce the desired rapidity of flow or supply at the printing-surface, whereby the greatest eiciency in operation may be attained.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly-modified construction of liquid-feeding device in connection with the pad-holder, wherein the iiexible tubing and transparent inspection or gage tube are omitted, the tank 2l being connected with the liquid -receiving chamber of the holder by means of a rigid tube 22, provided with a regulating-valve 23.

It will be understood, furthermore, that various other changesin the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ot' the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. A copying apparatus comprising a padholder, an absorbent copying pad seated therein so as to leave an underlying distributing-chamber, an absorbent conveying-pad interposed between the copying-pad and said chamber, and means connecting said chamber with a liquid-supply, whereby the conveying-pad and copying-pad are constantly maintained in a moist condition, substantially as specified.

2. A copying apparatus having a holder, supporting-bars spanning the holder above the plane of its floor or bottom, an absorbent copying pad supported by said bars, and means for supplying the space below the supporting-bars with a pad-moistening liquid, substantially as specified.

3. A copying apparatus having a copyingpad, a holder in which said pad Ais located, and having beneath the pad a chamber for the reception of a pad-moistening liquid, means for supplying liquid to said chamber, and an j 4air-outlet conveyer in communication with said chamber, and provided with a controlling-valve, substantially as specified.

5. A copying apparatus having a holder7 channeled su pportin g-bars spanning the holders in a common horizontal plane, a bracingweb spanning the holder beneath and transversely to said supporting-bars, an absorbent pad supported by said bars, and means for communicating a continuous supply of padmoistening liquid to the interior of the holder beneath the plane of the pad, substantially as specified.

6. A copying apparatus having a copyingpad, a holder in which the pad is located, and means for communicating a supply of padmoistening liquid to the interior of the holder beneath said pad, said means including a valved conveyer in communication with a tank, and said conveyer having flexible sections and an interposed transparent gagetube, substantially as specified.

7. A copying apparatus having a holder provided with 'ixed lower wall sections, bounding a liquid-receptaole,and movable up"- per wall-sections adjustable vertically with relation to the lower wall-sections, a copyingpad supported in the holder, and adapted to be absorbently fed with liquid from said receptacle, and means for adjusting the upper wall-sections with relation to the lower wallsections, substantially as speciiied.

8. A copying apparatus having a holder provided with fixed lower wall sections, bounding a liquid-1eceptacle,and movable up per wall-sections adjustable verticallyV with relation to-the lower wall-sections, a copyingpad supported in the holder ,in a xed position with relation to the lower wall-sections, and adapted to be absorbently fed by liquid in said receptacle, and means for adjusting the upper wall-sections with relation to the lower wall-sections, substantially as speciiied. Y 4

9. A copying apparatus having a copyingpad, a holder in which said pad is located, said holder having beneath the pad a distributing-chamber, valved means for supplying a pad-moistening liquid to the chamber, and a pressure-tube also in communication with said chamber, substantially as specified.

l0. A copying apparatus having a copyingpad, a holder in which said pad is located, said holder having beneath the pad a distributing-chamber, valved means for supply- IOO ing a pad-moistening liquid to the chamber, nieation with said ehambelg substantially as and a transparent pressure-tube also in comspecified. munieation with said chamber, substantially In testimony that I claim the foregoing as as specified. l my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 5 ll. A copying apparatus having a copyingthe presence of two Witnesses.

pad a holder in Which said pad is located 1 v said holdeil having beneath the pad a dis FRANK HENRY WOLILVER trbuting-ehamber, Valved means for supply- Witnesses:

ing a pad-moistening liquid to the chamber, HORACE R. PETERS,

1o and a Valved pressure-tube also in commu- IV. S. VANCE. 

